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Why Rob Zombie Cameos in All of James Gunn’s Films

Director James Gunn loves his Easter eggs, so much so that he crams his films full of them. Fans have devoted countless hours to finding all of the little pop-culture nods and trivia interspersed throughout works like “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Slither.” One of the more obscure recurring elements is that veteran shock rocker, and horror filmmaker, Rob Zombie lends his voice work in every Gunn vehicle.

In a recent interview, Gunn offered a pretty simple, but still enjoyable, reason for it.

“Rob’s a friend, and he appeared in my first movie, ‘Slither,’ so now it’s become my signature,” he told Fast Company. “But I love putting a lot of stuff in my movies for fans. In ‘Slither,’ every street sign referenced a classic horror film. There were hundreds of them. I’m in service to those people who want to watch a movie again and again.”

Gunn also elaborated on that last bit, saying it’s important to him to remain accessible to fans. “Some of my favorite directors of the 1970s became rich and famous and lost touch with other human beings not like themselves,” he said. “I can now maintain a connection to other people, not just in the U.S. but all over the world.”

“It allows me insight into someone who’s 15 in Thailand,” he continued. “It makes me feel good too. When I was 15, I met Joe Strummer from the Clash in a record store, and he had a conversation with me. For a kid from Manchester, Missouri, it was the best thing of all time.”